Catholicism: A Glimpse at Wives in the Bible

These nameless women of the Bible, identified by their relationships as wives, are known by the fame of their husbands or by their own words and deeds.

Cain’s wife: The single biblical reference to Cain’s wife raises more questions than it answers, but they are interesting points to ponder. Cain, son of Adam and Eve, killed his brother, Abel, and so is the first fugitive. He presumably met his wife in exile. But given that Adam and Eve were the first humans and produced only two children, where did this mystery woman come from?

Noah’s wife: Briefly mentioned in Genesis 6:18 when God instructs Noah to bring to the ark two of every animal, plus his wife and children. She is never mentioned as an individual but must have been a righteous and virtuous woman or she’d have been left behind with those who perished in the flood.

Judah’s wife: The most significant aspect of Judah’s wife, as recorded in the Bible, isn’t her life but her death. As wife of Judah, one of the 12 sons of Israel, she gave birth to three sons. We don’t learn when or how she dies, only that it frees up the widow of her two elder sons to marry her youngest and thereby continue the lineage.

Samson’s wife: Criticized by Samson’s mother as unsuitable, Samson’s wife served as a pawn between Samson and her father, as well as within Samson’s war on the Philistines. She’s no passive figure, however, and works against him in a bet in what could be construed as an act of revenge.

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